Impressions
by Marina Lenore
Summary: Impressions can have a stronger impact than people realise. Short, sweet, and slightly fluffy.


The first time that Higurashi Kagome laid eyes upon Taishō Toga, her best friend Sesshōmaru's father, she was twenty years old (nearing twenty one), and had just arrived at her best friend's twenty fifth birthday party. His parties were always well-attended since there was plenty of yōkai-made sake and shōchū to go around (a good thing, as regular sake and shōchū didn't do anything for her, her powers just metabolised the alcohol before it got a chance to affect her when it was ningen-made), he was wildly popular because of his heritage, and there were inevitably all manner of powerful people in attendance, making them enormous social events.

Her first impression of Toga was of roiling power, contained and controlled but so immense that it pressed upon her senses like the sun on a hot summer day. He was also the handsomest person she had ever seen in her life, completely outgoing and jovial (much unlike his sons), a wonderful storyteller, and completely, unashamedly flirtatious and charming. Not what she was expecting from a man who had gone travelling over the world to ease his heartbreak from the unavoidable death of his wife.

Then again that was over a decade ago; presumably travelling had helped ease his grief and given him something to live for besides his sons.

It took three stories for Kagome to be utterly charmed, and so when he asked her if she would like to get tea with him some time in the future her answer was an immediate and emphatic yes.

* * *

The first time that Toga saw his eldest son's much-talked-about best friend, he was stunned speechless. That did not, however, stop his instincts from crying out in ecstatic joy that she was _the one for him_.

Kagome was stunningly beautiful, kind, sweet, had a wonderful sense of humour, was an avid listener, and was so powerful that he could _feel_ her Shikon-granted abilities pressing against his yōki like the caress of silk upon skin. It did not take long for him to ask her out for tea, and when the party was over, he rounded on his son, demanding of him, "You _knew_ this would happen!"

Sesshōmaru just gave him a fond little smirk and tilted his head. "I suspected it would, yes. You and she compliment each other in ways I would have not thought possible for a ningen, and she is so inordinately powerful that frankly you are quite probably the only being in the world who has a chance of matching up to her. She is also fascinated with bettering herself, refining her control, and cares more about a person's heart than their appearance, being humble and gentle as well as almost brutally kind. I did keep trying to get you back sooner so you could meet her but I suppose this is equally suitable as she is definitely of marriageable age now and was clearly as smitten with you as you are with her."

Toga stared at his eldest son, before collapsing into a chair. "That girl's done wonders for you; why is it that you aren't staking your claim?"

Sesshōmaru smiled at him, "I met Kagome when she was six, father; she's more like a little sister to me than anything else; although her maturity has recently had me thinking of her as more of an older sister as of late – she is wickedly perceptive and not one I'll ever go up against in a battle of wits. She would win easily. Just like she completely and utterly _thrashes_ me whenever we play shogi or go. It is absurd that she has such a head for strategy when she is so young but her grandfather is at fault there."

Toga nodded, then grinned, "Well, at least I'm taking her out for tea later this week. Any suggestions?"

His son grinned wryly and gave him a _Look_. "Just be yourself. If you won over Mother you can easily win over Kagome."

He laughed at that and nodded, heading out of his eldest's home to go to his own home.

* * *

Kagome's second impression of Toga was that he was incorrigible, and way too charming for her own good. Half an hour into their conversation her heart was thumping unsteadily in her chest and she was beginning to wonder if she was going mad; because he seemed to be _flirting_ with her – not just in general, like he had at their first meeting but specifically _with_ her – and she had absolutely  no defence against his wit, charm, and good looks.

His stories were wonderful counterpoints to all this, being hilarious, heart-racing, and varied in their content.

By the end of their conversation Kagome had been flirting back, and was incredibly pleased for his long absence – Kagome's self-esteem was much more firmly entrenched now than it had been even just a few years ago, and she accepted his request to take her out again with grace and ease. Toga was wonderful and she was already smitten with him, if she was honest with herself.

* * *

Their first date was at a sushi restaurant, where Toga had demonstrated to her his intelligence, wicked perceptiveness, and charm (yet again). His sense of humour matched hers exactly, and by the end of their date she had the impression that if someone had crafted a perfect person for her to be with, it would be _exactly_ Toga.

When she called Sesshōmaru that night, he laughed at her distress over being half in love with his father already, and commented that if life wished to drop a gift-wrapped match into her lap, then it had every right to do so, and she should definitely take advantage of it.

Kagome rather thought she had no other choice.

* * *

Their fourth date was ice skating at a rink in the mall, and Kagome left that date with the impression that Toga was graceful, strong, and incredibly physically powerful – and the way his yōki had caressed and teased her throughout the experience told her that he was just as powerful as she was and not inclined to cease his flirtatious behaviour with _any_ part of him, yōki included in that.

* * *

Toga had learned a lot about the woman whom he was realising would be the most consuming love of his life that he would ever have. She was perceptive, intelligent, self-confident, powerful, strong, graceful, charming, sweet, brutally kind, cared not for power, status, or strength, and was adept at drawing out those parts of him that he had long ago closed off.

Every meeting she left a stronger impression on him than the previous one, and he was grateful that his son had finally convinced him to come back home – convinced him that it had been long enough that he no longer needed distraction to control his grief. Sesshōmaru had been right; he hadn't thought of Izayoi in months now, with Kagome taking over his mind and heart so effortlessly. He was desperately, consumingly in love with her, and resolved to ask her to mate him at their next date. Toga never did anything by halves, and Kagome was _perfect_ – not to mention he was yōkai; it was very rare indeed that they took this long before deciding whether someone was to be their mate or not; his dallying had been for the sake of his ningen partner, who seemed to be far more yōkai than she was ningen, in all the most important ways.

* * *

Kagome's impression of Toga when he finally ( _finally_ ) asked her to be his mate, was that of supreme self-confidence, utter certainty that he would never change his mind, and love so overpowering it would be suffocating if she hadn't felt just as strongly towards him.

She said yes, of course. Kagome would be a fool if she were to miss this chance to be with the only person she had ever loved in such a way, and Kagome was anything but _stupid_.

* * *

Toga would be making deep impressions on Kagome for the rest of her life, and she knew with all her being that the same went for him. After their mating night he had been smug, self-satisfied, and completely content with the situation – Kagome had to admit to feeling similarly.

They would be together forever, impressing their need for each other upon one another for the rest of eternity.


End file.
